The New Boss
by A. Heimby
Summary: We see what happens to Sean, but what about Max? What is he feeling throughout all of the interactions, and more importantly what is happening when we can't see him?
1. Chapter 1

Max walked toward his office after talking to Hunter with a slight frown on his face. It was getting harder to keep his personal life from his professional one. The only reason he was able to live with what his employees thought of him was because he told himself he wasn't really like that. That everything they hated about him didn't really ring true when it came to who he really was outside of the office. Now he didn't know if that was still the case, he found his personal life was seeping into his professional one.

He had hired Sean purely for his talent. He was the best of the best at his job and everyone he managed loved him. Max had actually hoped to pick up some of his tricks for handling people in a calmer, gentler way at work. He knew his way of leading led to lots of hatred, and if he could lead without compromising his authority, he wanted to be more liked at work. He had had high hopes when he bought out the online store, but they were quickly dashed as people reacted in the way they normally did, with anger and prejudice. Before he had even met the staff they almost all hated him, half because of his reputation and half because of the simple fact he was the new authority figure; the new boss.

When Sean had walked into his office for the first time he had sunk even further. It was bad enough he admired the man before they had even met, but when it was solidified within the first minute he knew he was in trouble. He could see the line in the sand between personal and professional fading away.

As he walked he thought back to his petty reaction to the undeserved hatred. Instead of proving everyone wrong he had let his personal mind take it out on everyone, even on Sean, who was the only one to give him a chance. The way he had treated Sean he regretted most; the poor man had just wanted to spend some time with his daughter. It had been true that Max needed him to set an example, but he could have let the man off work early the one time to have dinner with his daughter. In his defense he did try to apologize to Sean by helping him with his home life, but realized he had gone about it in the wrong way.

Max was trying to stop himself from physically slapping the back of his head when he ran into a sold obstacle between him and his office. He found his balance abandon him as he started to fall backward, but felt solid hands grasping his arms, keeping him upright. Flustered he look up to see two grey-blue eyes looking at him with slight concern. Like his balance had done moments before, he found his breath abandoning him as well.

Not letting go of his arms, Sean asked, "Are you okay sir? You seem a little distracted."

"I'm fine Sean, thank you." He could hear the coldness in his own voice and hated it, but he had to at least try to keep that line intact and the only way he knew how to do that was with cold distance. Clearing this throat he forced himself to take a step back, and with a small nod rushed past Sean into his office. He had to distract his mind with work.

When it became obvious that he couldn't succeed at keeping Sean from his thoughts he decided to at least make his thoughts productive. He really liked the weasel he had found in that novelty store, and wanted to sell Sean on the idea. Even though Sean's reaction was what caused this new crisis he found himself in, he wanted something good to come out of it, especially since so much bad had. He knew he was deluding himself into thinking Sean felt any positive emotion toward him, but he thought he might at least be able to make Sean think differently about the weasel fortune teller, after all, he had seen him using it in the break room earlier before his talk with Hunter about his delusional theory.

Later, as he watched Sean leaving for the day, last as always aside from himself, he was overcome by uncalled for jealousy as he saw Liz and Hunter walking with him. He had overheard Liz talking about Sean's date. He had also overheard the fact it was Sean's first date in a long while. He looked down at the weasel on his desk and swiped it to the floor with a frustrated grunt. Running his hands threw his now untidy hair he took a deep breath. He had to get his emotions back in line, and quickly. With uncalled for anger he stood up, sending his, well Sean's, chair flying backward. At the sound of it topping over he managed to gain some control, and scooping the weasel up walked out of his office, out of the building, and to his car.

He threw everything into the back seat before letting his head hit the back of the seat, closing his eyes. He wanted to get Sean out of his head, so he made a decision. Opening his eyes, he turned his car on and drove back toward his hotel. He had no intention of making it up to his room though; he had no intention of making it past the hotel lounge.

Max quickly found a seat at the bar in the lounge and ordered a drink, then another, and another, then he lost track. His drink seemed to refill itself so he would just drink it down. Before he knew it Max found himself in a cab spouting an address he didn't realize he knew.

Throwing all the change in his pocket at the cabbie he jumped from the cab and entered the building. He didn't know what he was doing, but he also didn't want to stop himself, so after a quick elevator ride he was knocking on a door. "Max, what are you doing here?" Sean looked at him with surprise as he walked in more steadily than he felt.

He started talking before he could think about what he was saying. "I had something to talk to you about that I thought would be inappropriate for the work place. I know that you want me and it's never going to happen." As he registered his own words he noticed the other two in the room.

His attention was drawn back to Sean as he confusedly asked, "What?"

That's when Hunter added, "Oh ya, I forgot to tell you somethin'."

Max continued, paying Hunter no attention, as he said, "Sean, I saw you longing for my handsomeness when you were shaking the weasel."

Sean looked past him slightly incredulous as he half said to himself, "Wow, which mistake should I correct first."

With fake cockiness Max said, "You're not the only gay man to fall for me." That was actually true; it just wasn't the whole story.

Laughing to himself, Sean assured Max, "I… I'm not falling for you, sir."

Max felt a numb pang in his chest as he kept up the cocky act saying, "And they all deny it." Suddenly the professional part of his brain woke up from its alcohol induced sleep, and he added, "But look, I'm not leaving until we all figure this out. As my high school fencing coach used to say, 'masks are for safety, not for hiding our feelings'."

Max found his attention being drawn briefly to one of the other two people in the room again as Liz said is a sickly sweet voice, "Uh, Sean, it's seven o'clock. Tell Max how attracted to him you are."

"Yes, uh, she's right, I am super attracted to you," Max wished, even in his inebriated state, that he could believe those words, "but it's never going to happen, so now I'll have to start the healing process, so if you don't mind." Max walked toward the door when Sean gestured toward it adding, "Ack, the one that got away."

His brain decided to punish him more as he found himself saying, "Don't be blue, as my fencing coach also used say, 'sometimes, for all the parrying, there'll be no thrust'." He hoped that his words hadn't given away his drunken state.

Sean just seamed in a hurry to get rid of him as he told Max, "Sounds like a wise, and deeply, inappropriate man", before closing the door on him.

Max stood there a moment, lost in the drunken haze his mind was in. He only snapped back into reality at the sound of approaching footsteps. He headed back to the elevator's and chastised his own mind as he walked past the man who was the source of the footsteps and felt the same irrational jealousy from before. He really had no right to be jealous, and judging by very recent events, he never would. Once the elevator doors closed he smacked the back of his head. He knew he would feel even worse in the morning, and not just because of the huge hangover he would undoubtedly have.

He found his new self-hatred grow even further as he got outside and realised he had no money for the cab ride home. Now he was stuck walking, with his thoughts, on a chilly autumn night. It was not his day, hell, if he was honest with himself, it was not his month. Things had just been going downhill since he bought the company, now not only in his professional life, but his personal one as well. That was why he had a line, and this was what he got for not protecting it better.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day at work Max arrived a few hours late with an almighty headache. The first thing he did was barricade himself in his office with the lights out. Not only could he not face his actions from the night before, he also couldn't face the light of day.

He managed to stay hidden for most of the afternoon, but unfortunately, not all of it. Close to the end of the work day there was a knock at the door of his office, and reluctantly, he called for the person to come in. Like the world was torturing him, it was Sean the stepped through the door.

Although he couldn't see his face in the dark, Max could hear the confusion in Sean's voice as he asked, "Sir, why are you sitting in the dark?"

He groaned in pain from the light filtering in from outside the door before snippily saying, "Because I like the dark, Sean. I don't think I need to give you an answer."

Max could hear the smirk as Sean said, "Well you just did, so." There was a moment of silence where Max could hear Sean thinking before the man in question asked, "Were you drunk last night?"

He let out a long sigh at the question as he dragged his hands over his face. After Sean remained standing there he realised the man would not leave without an answer, so reluctantly, Max said, "Yes, Sean, I was. Are you happy now?"

Max expected some kind of response, but when he heard none he looked toward the door. Sean was now closer to his desk as he asked, "Are you okay sir? That doesn't seem like you, getting drunk on a work night."

He was overcome with an urge to tell Sean the truth; why he had been drinking, why he wound up at his door in his drunken state, but he couldn't build up the nerve. After taking a deep breath, he lied. "Of course I'm okay, Sean. I'm the boss; I have to be okay, don't I?"

Looking to the dark figure he could barely make out, he waited for a response, or preferably, for Sean to leave, but he did neither. Instead Max found himself once again in a heavy silence. This time he could tell that Sean wanted to say something, but was debating whether or not to say it. He listened as words kept starting from Sean only to die out. It was only after minutes of this that Sean finally managed to say, "No one has to be okay, Max. No matter your standing, you're aloud to have problems, and…" Max waited for the end of the sentence as Sean paused before saying sincerely, "I hope you know I am someone you can come to with them."

Max closed his eyes and cursed Sean's good heart, it only made him love him more. After gathering his emotions a little Max quietly said, "I know Sean, thank you for that." He knew he had to lie again if he was ever going to get Sean to leave, so with fake confidents he reassured, "I'm fine though Sean. No problems to tell." Max knew Sean well enough to know he didn't buy his lie, but he also knew that Sean would drop it, at least for now, and he wasn't wrong. Without another word, Sean got up and left his office, closing the door behind him, once again plunging the office into complete darkness. It matched Max's frame of mind so perfectly.

The New Boss

Sean closed the door behind him softly, but he didn't move away for a few moments. He knew Max was lying to him, it was far too obvious not to see, or at least hear, the pain Max was in, but he couldn't figure out what was causing it. In the short time that Sean had known Max he had known him to be closed off, cold, and seemingly emotionless, but now there were to many emotions for Sean to count, or even begin to name. As far as he could tell nothing had changed from when Max first took over to now. He felt like he should be able to tell what was causing Max pain, but the more he tried the more blanks he came up with.

After deciding to put the confusing mess to the side for later, Sean finally moved away from the door and back toward his own office. There was a confused frown on his face, and it didn't escape Hunter's notice as he stopped him at his office door. Putting his hand on Sean's shoulder, Hunter asked, "Are you okay, Sean. You look like you did on your wedding day, or at least how Liz describes it." Sean smiled at Hunter's attempt at humour, but if fell short, and again, this did not escape Hunter's notice. "Man, something must really be eating at you. What's up?"

Sean looked at Hunter for a moment trying to find the words to describe his worry for Max, but every time he knew Hunter would respond the same way, uncaring for their new boss. After failing for a few moments he decided to play it off and dismissing the topic with his hand, he simply said, "It's probably nothing. No need to worry you over it." He then quickly changed the subject as he asked, "Did you finish your idea list yet for the cow lamp? Don't forget I need them by the end of tomorrow." With that he quickly slipped into his office and closed the door behind him. He didn't feel like listening to more anti-Max rants.

For the first time ever, Sean refused to open his door for anyone. He simply sat at his desk and did his work. He knew that he could at least ease Max's worries about the store, and a part of him hopped that was all that was bugging his boss, but a larger part knew that was a lie. He knew what ever was bugging Max it was on a personal level because Max was the most professional person he knew. He doubted Max would let his professional life and personal life ever affect each other. That was why Sean vowed to make Max's professional life easier, at least until he could figure out what was bugging Max about his personal one.


End file.
